Aerial tramway



Deer 16, 1941. L "J, VOGEL AERIAL TRAMWAY Dec. 16, 1941. J. VOGEL AERIAL TRAMwAY Filed April 23, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 za I Z l Q 2' j! l L I,

g :L1-i373 Y v Leo J. V clgNeVIENTOK BY /Mdbm ATTORNEY 3 Ythis type of tramway,

mm" Patented Dec. 16, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE f 2,266,522 i yAERIAL TRAMWAY Iled Vogel, Mount Lebanon, Pa. Application Aprii'zs, 193s, serial No. 203,801 v y (c1. 10i- 125) 3 Claims.

that form supported by one or more cables, and said carrier is pro` pelled along the supporting cable or cables. In the track or supporting cable or cables are` supported between two or more supporting towers.

One of the objects of my invention is to devise an aerial tramway of thistype, whereby the towers or other supporting means for the track cable or cables, can be made of much lighter construction than has'heretofore been possible.

Another object of my invention is to mount said supporting towers turnably.

Another object of my invention is to eliminate numerous disadvantages which have resulted from the use of fixed towers.

Other objects of my invention will be set forth in the following description and drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment thereof, it being understood that the above stated objects of my invention are intended merely to define the same generally,

manner.

Fig. 1 is a side Aelevation which diagrammatically shows an embodiment of my invention. In this figure I have illustrated only two supporting towers, but any desired number of additional or intermediate supporting towers can be used.

Fig. Z is an end elevation of one of the Supporting towers shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of one of said supporting towers, on a scale larger than the scale shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4`4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a section on Fig. 6 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2. the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

and without limiting` it in any Heretofore, in supporting 'the track cable upon a plurality of fixed towers,considerable lateral or bending stresses were created in such towers, by the movement of the carrier which conveyed the load. These lateral or bending stresses upon such towers varied within rather wide limits, due to changes in location of the carrier load, weath er conditions and the like. It was therefore necessary to make these supporting towers of very heavy construction.

Likewise, when one or more intermediate towers were used between theterminal supports of the track cable or cables of such tramway systems, it was necessary to cause the track cable vor cables to slide through supporting shoes or Aporting cable saddles which were provided at the towers, in order to permit the adjustment of the tension of the cable in adjacent spans. Otherwise it was necessary to provide vvery strong and heavy structures in order to resist the resultant eccentric loading, if the cables were xed to the supporting towers. The `sliding movement of the track through the shoes which were located upon the towers, caused great wear on said cables, with resultant short life.

According to my invention, all the supporting towers are pivotally connected to their respective foundations. IfV desired, only the intermedi-V ate towers and the tail tower can be pivotally connected to their respective foundations, so that the rst tower, which is directly adjacent the loading station, can be rigidly connected to its foundation. One or'more such towers may be thus rigidly connected, but it is preferred to have all the towers pivotally connected.

Referring to Fig. 1, shows an aerial tramway system, having a loading station L. A motor of any suitable type is located at the loading station L. Said motor operates the endless pull rope or pull cable, which has the superposed runs 28 and 28a. The carrier C is suitably connected to one of these runs, such as for example, the run 28a.

In this particular invention', the carrier C is supported upon two supporting cables 2 and 2a. Of course, the number of supporting cables may be varied, and the invention also applies to the well known system in which only a single supis used.

In this particular embodiment, I have shown a pair of supporting towers I and la. Of course the number of supporting towers may be varied depending upon the length of the system.

These supporting towers may be of any suitable or conventional construction per se, although they may be of much lighter construction than the towers which are rigidly connected to their foundations.

As shown in Fig. 1` and in Figs. 2 and 3, each of these towers is turnably connected to its respective foundation 3. 'As shown in Fig. 4, .said foundation 3 may be made of concrete or of any other suitable material. A foundation plate 5 is connected to said foundation 3 by means of securing members 6, which may be of any suitable type. Supporting brackets l are respectively fixed to the respective foundation plates 5, by means ofthe members 8. Trunnions or pivot members 4 are turnably mounted upon the upstanding portion of each member 1..'Sa`id-pivot this diagrammatically members 4 may be of any suitable construction. In this embodiment they are shown as being provided with heads 4a, and bearing washers 9 are mounted upon said pivot members 4, by means of cotter pins I0. Any suitable conventional pivot construction may be utilized for this purpose. The tower I is welded or otherwise rigidly connected to the supporting plates I I, which are mounted so as to turn either in unison with the members 4, or to turn relative to said members 4.

The tower can be connected pivotally to its foundation, so as to turn in a single plane, in any suitable manner.

The two runs 28 and 28a of the pull cable pass respectively over sheaves I2 and |20J which are turnably connected to the respective vtowers I and Ia.

It will be noted that the tower Ia is higher than the tower I, but this relation may be varied.

The supporting 'cables y2 and 2a are clamped or otherwise lxedly connected to the respective towers I and Ia. Generally speaking, Yeach of :these towers has four uprights I4. In plan View,

these uprights are located yat the corners of a rectangle.

This relation is not vshown in detail in the drawings, as in itself this -construction is old and well known. These uprights :I4 are connected by means of suitable cross-emembers, as shown in Figs. 2.1and `3.

The bottoms of said towers are tapered, so that said towers l'can `be pivotally connected to their foundations 3, whereby each tower can turn back and forth in .a single plane, relative to its foundation s3.

This turning movement of the towers is vindicated in kbroken lines yin Fig. 1.

Referring to Fig. Y5, :this =shows inclined saddles 23, which are fixed to an inclined member I5, which is connected to the corresponding uprights `4`IIS of a tower. There are two of these members :I5 in each tower, and said members I5 and the saddles and their accessory parts, are identical in all respects. 'Ihe members I5 of each tower are parallel to each other. Each of said mem- Abers I5 can have `a U-shaped cross-section, with the open part of the U facing as shown in Fig. 6. 'Eachsaddle 23 is connected to its men ber I5, by means yof a bracket 24.

The member .24 may be rmerely a spacer, so that each saddle 23 can Ybe connected directly to the corresponding member I5. The Ycable 2 passes through rigid metal sleeves '25, which are pivotally connected at 26 to the rail 222. 'Each tower .has two such rails 22. Each said rail 22 is rigidly connected `to the -saddles 23.

The dual construction shown is suitable for a system having :two track `cables 2 and 2a.

'I'he contour of each ofthe saddles23 is partially cylindrical, so as to labut vand to firmly support the adjacent parts Yof the track cable 2.

A bracket B, having a base iI8, is rigidly connected to eachgmember I5. Each bracket B is provided with -a clamping member I 'I which is fixed to said bracket B, by means of members I9.

As shown in Fig. 6, the cable 2 is clamped -.to Lthe member I1, by means of a supplemental vclamping member 20, which is connected to the member II by means of screws or other fastening members 2l. l

Each rail .22 is welded .or otherwise suitably connected Aateach of its ends to the respective .saddles 23.

This connection may be a detachable one, as by means of screws or bolts or the like.

As shown in Fig. 1, the carrier C is provided with a suitable number of sets of wheels W. Each set of wheels rides upon one of the supporting cables 2 and 2a.

Referring to Fig. 5, these wheels W ride upon the sleeves 25 at the entering end of the tower, so that these wheels then ride 01T the track cables .2 .and 2a, up .the .first pair4 of pivoted sleeves 25, on the rails .22, on the second pair of sleeves 25, and then back again to the cables `2 and 2a.

'be anchored at laterally spaced points at the loading station.

Said cables 2 and 2a are preferably anchored -at separated points 3,0 and 30a, -at the end of the aerial tramway. The points 30:and13la may be spaced both laterally and longitudinally.

Due to this anchoring and fthe clamping yof the supporting cables f2 `.and 2a to the towers, these towers are 'prevented from moving too -far out of their normal or vertical ,position The amplitudeof turning movement .-of fthe towers is indicated in broken lines fin Fig. -1. :In Fig. f1 the normal or vertical position `of each tower is shown vin full lines.

When the carrier C is vintermc-zdiate the loading station :and ,the tower rI, .the weight of A,the carrier C turns `said tower I Icounterclockwise from the 'full-'eline :position to the leftehand broken-line positionindicated Ain Fig. 1.

When the `carrier iCris locatedeintermediate the towers I and ILL-the said tower lis then turned clockwise, to the rightehandbrok'enline lposition shown :in Fig. 1, at which point the supporting cables 2 .and :2a vpresent any :further turning movement of :the 'tower 5I. Likewise, when 'the carrier C 'is located .intermediate the towers gI and Ia, :the tower 'lavis turned counterclockwise from the full-line position yshown iin Fig. .1, to the position indicated in broken lines in Fig. 1.

If desired, each fof the supporting cables .may be clamped atl-a plurality of points, spaced from each othento each of ithe'towers.

The inventionis fnotan'eeessarily limited :to the clamping of the supporting cablesfto veach and every of the lsupporting towers, although .this is a preferred arrangement.

As shown in Figs. .2 and 6a Ireinforcing member I6 maybe `provided in each tower, which can serve as a horizontal working platform. This member `II can vbe connected to thetower by means of braces 21.

It is tobe understood Fthat 'the clamping .means and the other parts shown herein :are 'illustrated merely diagrammatically, and l'that numerous changes vcan .be lmade .in practical embodiment of the invention herein.

Whenever I referto track cable means, I include one or more `track-cables.

In effect, members :25 are vpivoted Vextensions of the corresponding intermediate rail 22.

While I have shown a preferred combination, it Ais to be understood that .the yinvention 'includes numerous Valuable subecombinations and `.that

numerous parts may vbe omitted or varied with- `out departing .from thespirit ofthe invention.

Likewise, while the vinvention is Iparticularly useful in connection vwit-hitowers which are pivotally connected to their .supports ybelow 'the track cable means, certain aspects of the invention are not limited to' said pivotal mounting of the towers.

According to the invention, the towers are pivoted so that they split the angle which is formed by the cables at the top of the tower, thus keeping the tension of the cable the same on both sides of a tower.

With towers of the stationary type, the tension of the cable may vary in the spans on either side of the tower. However, if the tower is pivoted at its base, the tension in consecutive spans will be substantially the same because the tower can tilt so as to adjust itself to differences of tension in the adjacent spans.

This is an important improvement because in an aerial tramway, the tension changes very substantially with the movement of the load or loads along the cable track.

I claim:

1. An aerial tramway system comprising spaced base-supports, spaced towers respectively turnably connected at their bottoms to said basesupports, track cable-means rigidly fixed to said towers at respective predetermined points of said track cable-means so that the track cable-means are immovable relative to the towers at said predetermined points, said track cable-means being also fixed to additional means which are spaced from said towersand between which said towers are located, each tower having a rail rigidly fixed thereto and overlying the respective predetermined points of the track cable-means, each rail having a supplemental rail-member at each end thereof, each supplemental rail-member being mounted on said tower so that it is turnable relative to the respective rail in a vertical plane, each predetermined point being located intermediate a pair of said supplemental rail-members, said supplemental rail-members overlying portions of the track cable-means, so that the carrier is supported on said rail and on said supplemental rail-members in front of and also behind each said predetermined point, said Y towers being freely turnable to predetermined respective inclined positions which are oppositely inclined to the vertical direction while said cable-means are fixed to said additional means.

2. In an aerial tramway system, a tower-support, a track-cable, a tower turnably connected to said support, said tower having holding-means connected thereto and constructed to grip said track-cable and to hold the gripped part of the track-cable immovable relative to the tower, said tower having rail means connected thereto and extending in front of and also behind said holding-means and also overlying said holding-means and the track-cable, said rail means comprising an intermediate member which is held immovable relative to the tower and end members located respectively in front of and behind said intermediate member, said end-members being turnable relative to said intermediate member in a vertical plane, said holding-means being located above said support.

3. In an aerial tramway system, a tower, a track-cable, said tower having means located at the top thereof and adapted to grip a predetermined portion of the track-cable and to hold said predetermined portion immovable relative to the tower, the top of said tower having saddles which are spaced from each other in the direction of said track-cable, said saddles being rigidly fastened to the tower, a rail rigidly connected to said saddle and overlying the adjacent part of the track-cable, said rail having metal sleeves pivoted thereto at the ends of said rail, portions of said track-cable being located in said sleeves.

LEO J. VOGEL. 

